NASA gets Preparedness minded

[capecmom]

Although preparing for the worst is always advisable, I find it interesting that NASA is suddenly pushing their employees to do it.

Quote-

A major initiative has been placed on Family/Personal Preparedness for all NASA personnel. The NASA Family/Personal Preparedness Program is designed to provide awareness, resources, and tools to the NASA Family (civil servants and contractors) to prepare for an emergency situation. The most important assets in the successful completion of NASA’s mission are our employees’ and their families. We are taking the steps to prepare our workforce, but it is your personal obligation to prepare yourself and your families for emergencies.

www.nasa.gov/centers/hq/emergency/personalPreparedness/index.html

Then there was this big announcement today-ties together? You decide.

U.S And United Kingdom To Cut Power In Preparation of Massive Solar Storm.

In a stunning announcement, The United States and United Kingdom are likely set to began “controlled” power cuts in preparation of a giant solar storm.
The announcement by Thomas Bogdan, the director of the US Space Weather Prediction Centre, comes a week after a large scale solar flare released a massive amount of radiation and threatened to cause moderate disruption.
The solar flare on June 7th, 2011 was luckily pointed away from Earth but caused many to wonder if another solar flare is imminent, this one aimed directly at earth.
Now, due to the possibility of a large scale solar flare, officials in Europe and the United Kingdom are preparing what they call, “controlled” power cuts. What this actually means remains to be seen.
In an interview with The Independent, Bogdam was quoted as saying, “controlled power “outages” will protect the National Electricity Grids against damage which could take months or even years to repair should a large solar storm collide with the Earth without any precautions being taken.”
Interestingly enough, this information also comes just days after NASA sent out a preparedness warning to all employees and their families.
theintelhub.com/2011/06/13/u-s-and-united-kingdom-to-cut-power-in-preparation-of-massive-solar-storm/

Here is the announcement in the UK papers-

www.independent.co.uk/news/science/controlled-power-cuts-likely-as-sun-storm-threatens-national-grid-2296748.html

[capecmom]

The SHTF Plan website is now covering this-
Also available at this site is a good video from the Discovery channel about the dangerous of a massive CME.

www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/solar-threat-well-have-minutes-to-respond-government-plans-controlled-blackouts-elite-contingency-plans_06142011

[nhlivefreeordie]

This is not good.

[☼ ЯÏĊk ☺]

Anyone wanna borrow my book One Second After? Not good at all.
I'd like to find out what would happen to solar panels and turbines and the circuitry....Probably smoke the controller and the inverter and render it all useless. But what if it wasnt hooked up? hhhmmmm?

[nhlivefreeordie]

Hooked up or not I think they are trash. We can get by without electricity, the Amish do every day. I just worry about the crop cycles, better have a couple years worth of food and several seasons worth of seeds. You need livestock that can forage for the biggest portion of it's diet.

[☼ ЯÏĊk ☺]

Check, check and check. Water is my biggest worry. Wonder if Oduma will bail me out for a hand pump. LOL. This bus ever sells, thats the very first thing I do....head up to Houlton and go visit bison pump. Kaaaaa-chiiiing! Peace of mind? Priceless.

[nhlivefreeordie]

Jun 14, 2011 21:22:16 GMT -4 ☼ ЯÏĊk ☺ said:

Check, check and check. Water is my biggest worry. Wonder if Oduma will bail me out for a hand pump. LOL. This bus ever sells, thats the very first thing I do....head up to Houlton and go visit bison pump. Kaaaaa-chiiiing! Peace of mind? Priceless.

$600 will seem pretty cheap when you are thirsty.

[☼ ЯÏĊk ☺]

Ah...I was thinking twice that, with all the stuff you gotta buy. The pump is at the bottom, and I'd like to get at least halfway down, and that 150'. cant imagine going all the way to 300. Its 310 total. Yikes.
Good thing wabbits and goats dont drink much, huh?

[nhlivefreeordie]

I've seen the pumps alone going for $600, natch the accessories would be more, still, being thirsty sucks.

[☼ ЯÏĊk ☺]

Oh, 1200 is a small price to pay for the whole setup. Like I said...peace of mind, priceless. They dont even freeze, which is really cool. And they can come with a hose spigot on 'em so that some big dude from Maine could have a 55 gallon plastic barrel up in his ceiling and gravity feed his water for when it's -20*. WAY better than banging 7 gram rocks!

[Deleted]

Jun 14, 2011 20:55:52 GMT -4 ☼ ЯÏĊk ☺ said:

Anyone wanna borrow my book One Second After? Not good at all.
I'd like to find out what would happen to solar panels and turbines and the circuitry....Probably smoke the controller and the inverter and render it all useless. But what if it wasnt hooked up? hhhmmmm?

Or even maybe stored in a grounded metal building??

[☼ ЯÏĊk ☺]

Awesome Fred! There must be a way, even a root cellar or something. Not that I could have the stuff....just thinking aloud for those with the means. Although the cheapie starter solar panels from NH northern is doable...and my shooting buddy has some old golf cart batteries...That would run the lighting easy.

[capecmom]

Wayne, No I don't think shutting down the grid will do much good either. There is going to be far much current going through the ground to preserve much. I know they are trying, and I have to give them props for at least going that far, but I think it's wise to figure on the grid not coming back. I know we've all pretty much done that anyway, but for other people...they need to think about this long and hard.

From what I've heard you need to shield your solar panels too.
I wonder if an old freezer that was grounded might hold a few panels? If you took the shelving out? I know people are using old Microwave ovens that are grounded to keep small electrics in....

Rick-don't forget about rain catchment for your water needs. It would certainly help. Even a cheapo plastic kiddie pool out in the yard when it rains will capture quite a bit of water. You could even have it at the receiving end of your downspouts to capture even more than a rain barrel. Then of course you have rain barrels themselves.
We're even thinking about digging a small pond in the yard. Even though we only live up the street from a fresh water pond, there might be a time when we don't want to go down there.
You might want to grab some pool shock at Wally World if you go that route. A little of that goes a long way.

[☼ ЯÏĊk ☺]

Julie, you've seen my pics on Farcebook....those big white poly totes? They hold 275 gallons and I own 10 0f them. I was even given some gutters and downspouts last month. I need water 365 days a year, not some huge ice cubes so the well pump is for me.
That friggin book really got me thinking, believe you me. My mind is going a.....Trillion mph.

[capecmom]

Oh yeah, that's right-I forgot about those!

I just read "One second after" this Spring-scary but eye opening for sure.